Buddies
by Kuro Shiro Sama-Sama
Summary: A small story about Buddy remembering his days before Eggman took over, before Infinite became a pawn of the mad doctor, back when things were more mundane. Contains a lot of my personal head canons for both characters - some of which are outdated and are not entirely canon accurate to forces. Enjoy regardless if that's your thing.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a fanfic that features my interpretation of Buddy the Wolf – which is the fan name for the character shown in the character creator trailer in Sonic Forces. Other names for him seem to be 'Gadget' and 'Rookie' but the most common one I came across was Buddy, which I was told was the popular name for the character by a friend of mine in a Sonic 06 RP group on Discord.**

 **I know Sonic Forces is already a little bit old and a lot of the hype around it has already died since a lot of people's theories about Buddy and Infinite have been dis-proven and the game's story was flawed, too short, and so on. But I admit I grew attached to the red wolf the fandom calls Buddy/Gadget. Why? Honestly no idea, but I blame his well-composed character design and the fact he's a wolf (wolves and wolf-like dogs have always been nice to me, I tend to be nice back).**

 **And because he's essentially a blank slate, I decided to mess around with the character in fanfic all while hoping the character gets used either in another game or makes a cameo in Sonic Boom. The only thing about Buddy I'm not really sure about is his age. Infinite refers to him as 'child' but that could also imply Infinite is older like Shadow. Since most of the characters are in their teens I assumed Buddy was around 16 but I have other people insisting he's as young as 10 or 12.**

 **It could be ambiguous on purpose to make the custom hero truly yours – but as a compromise let's say Buddy is anywhere from 12 to 15. Still an age range to be considered a child, but still mature enough to be considered a tween or teen like the majority of the canon cast. In addition by the way other characters to him he's definitely younger than Sonic (16) and perhaps the majority of the other characters so 12 to 15 is a fitting range for that prerequisite.**

 **Other than that this is sort of written blind, chuck full of head canons that have most likely been proven wrong in the actual game or official bonus material outside of the games, but whatever. These are my head canons and attempts at giving Buddy a personality. Enjoy my corn, at most 2 more chapters to come.**

 **Buddies**

On the few breaks Buddy got in between missions he thought about the masked one – this creature who called himself Infinite. He remembered that time on Park Avenue, being laughed at, running away, the fear... He was humiliated just thinking back on it. He didn't want to think of himself as weak anymore. He didn't want to be afraid or ever turn away from danger again, especially not when it was right in front of him.

Memories of living on Park Avenue were coming back, even though they pained him to think about now that the city was a modern day ruin.

He remembered the deli/restaurant he worked at part time for extra money and to help him afford new glasses and trips to the optometrist. His job wasn't anything exciting. It was a decent way to make money when you were young and lacking experience: stacking boxes, taking inventory, serving food to customers and having chefs and customers yell at you when you dropped another drink on the floor while you were busy adjusting your glasses. Another ring taken out of your paycheck. Terrific.

In between breaks he would read about Sonic in the newspapers or hear about him on the news. The guy was a hero for a living and didn't even ask money for it. He was an ideal: brave, friendly, nice, selfless. A bit show-offish at times but heroes had the right to gloat every now and again. It seemed like whenever the world needed him he would be there with his team and they would take care of the issue. He didn't want to think of himself as an obsessed fanboy... But that didn't stop everyone at work from thinking so, which embarrassed him. He was a fan, he wanted to be a hero himself but people thinking he was an obsessed fanboy made him afraid of acting the way he did.

Then there was one day when the deli wasn't busy at all. It was pouring rain. Barely anyone was outside and even his boss told him he could go home if he wanted to – but he didn't leave... He needed the money for new glasses because his current pair had a crack in each lense that was only getting bigger with every tumble the plastic frames took.

There was a man who walked in – soaked to the bone despite wearing a tan coat and hat in a lame attempt to protect him from the rain. He looked like a wolf or a jackal, some sort of dog who looked old and in need of a warm meal and a place to get dry and stay warm. Just what he needed.

"Hey Buddy, quit reading your stories and get to work." He could hear his boss yell at him, causing the wolf to adjust his glasses and put down his newspaper. He'd already read the latest news on Sonic. He needed that new pair of glasses. He couldn't afford to get fired over being a fan.

He went up to the man sitting at a seat by the window, giving him a menu and smiling with his little fang sticking out. He nodded his head politely – not really much for words and not being able to remember how to speak because the customer looked so intimidating...

He had black and white fur with each eye being a different color, a scar on his right eye. There was so much fur on his head he tied it back and the tail too was so long that if it wasn't soaking wet he could be sitting on it and using it as a cushion, instead it was trailing along the floor, wet and limp like a wet mop.

"Thank you." The stranger took the menu. "I'll start with a black coffee. Are there any specials?"

Oh no, he was asking him a question... "Um... Today's specials. You can find those on the back of the menu." The red wolf was about to break out in a cold sweat. He didn't like speaking unless he had to and now was one of those times but he was just being looked at with a glare that made him uncomfortable.

"Alright then...?" The jackal turned his menu around and looked at the specials without taking the time to read them – his eyes unmoving as well as unfeeling. Then he gave the menu back to the wolf. "Scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, and as much bacon as you can put on one plate. Hope that's not a lot to ask."

Oh gosh the stare got even worse... "Coming right up." And the wolf almost bolted to the kitchen, just wanting to get away from the customer at the window. And once he was hiding behind a nice metal door he sunk down to the floor and sighed. He just wanted to retreat back into his adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog but he had to work or risk getting fired.

He brewed some black coffee, pouring it into a tea cup and then bringing it to the jackal, now reading a newspaper of his own with the front page story being about Doctor Eggman. For all the trouble he's caused over the years he would probably get life in prison or worse. But the mad doctor could never be caught it seemed, even when he was stopped by Sonic.

"Coffee's done. The rest will be ready soon." The wolf put the cup on the table.

"Thank you."

He went back to the kitchen, cooking the rest of the order: eggs smothered with butter and spices in one pan as a grilled cheese smothered in butter fried in the other. Running to the walk-in freezer he got a package of bacon that was getting close to it's expiration date, ran back to the stove, opened up the plastic and dumped all of the bacon in the same pan as the eggs, occasionally stealing strips while they were still somewhat raw for a quick snack.

Putting it all on one plate ended with a grilled cheese sandwich resting on a bed of bacon and eggs. Now to take it to that intimidating customer in the front...

He got out from the safety of the kitchen and gave the man his food, receiving a nod to the head in thanks and an odd question he wasn't asked before: "Fancy yourself as a hero, kid?"

"Me?"

"I heard some news program on the radio talking about heroism and what not. Does that interest you?"

He could go on and on about how Sonic was a hero and how great he was but he had to resist. "Well, I think it appeals to everyone to some degree."

"That could be true." He flipped through his newspaper. "What do you think of this Eggman fellow in the news? He seems like a pain."

"I've... been reading other things... I guess I don't really read much about the doctor, I read more about how he's thwarted every time. Takes a real hero to put up with someone like that on a daily basis."

"Guess it's normal for kids to ignore the news in the real world, focus on the idealist worlds and ideas given to us by the good guys." He drank his coffee. "I'm going to need more coffee."

"Coming right up." The wolf put the plate of food on the table and took the cup back to the kitchen to refill it. Though looking back on it, he should've brought the coffee pot with him to just give him a refill right then and there. How short-sighted he was!

When he came back he found the jackal playing with his food, opening the grilled cheese and stuffing bacon and eggs inside and pressing the sandwich as flat as it could be, making bits of bacon and egg stick to the tops and bottom parts of the sandwich.

"Oh gosh, I forgot to give you a fork and knife. I can go get them-."

"It's fine, I'm not much of a utensil person. I'm used to eating with my hands." The customer took a bite out of his meal, continuing to talk while chewing. "It's been a while since I had someone to talk to. Are you able to take a break?"

And simultaneously wanting to run back to the kitchen and keep talking, the wolf found himself sitting across from the stranger while wishing he went home early after all, glasses be damned. The stranger ate like a bored child playing with his food in every gross way he could, occasionally taking a sip of black coffee and looking like an adult despite his grease-covered fingers. Such a sight kept the wolf both entertained and awkward.

"You don't talk much."

"I don't really need to."

"I like that." He shoved the crust into his mouth. "Better than someone who talks too much and doesn't know when to shut up. You know when it is you need to speak. Don't lose that trait."

"Thank you?"

"What's your name?"

"Gadget. But a lot of people call me-."

"Hey Buddy, clean up your mess in the kitchen and quit hanging around!" His boss yelled at him, making the red wolf grimace at that name.

"Buddy it is then. I could actually use some more coffee, maybe another sandwich. It was well prepared." The customer said all of this while looking at the wolf with the look of someone who's killed someone over a grilled cheese in the past. "I could go for coffee too, maybe more bacon, a scone, a muffin... What do people eat around these parts?"

"Food?" The wolf answered unsure.

"I'll have more of that." The customer drank down the rest of his coffee. "I'm going to need a refill. You can bring out multiple cups at once if it saves you time. I drink a lot."

The jackal watched the young wolf run back to the kitchen with his tail tucked between his legs and a brown hedgehog – most likely the kid's boss – stepping out and taking a spot behind the cash register.

"Anything you want from here?" They asked, gesturing toward a glass case stuffed with basked goods.

"Plain muffin, chocolate chip scone – if ya have any."

He had a plain muffin and a scone brought to him on two separate plates followed by that wolf 'Buddy' bringing several small tea cups to the table before running back to get a keg of black coffee and pouring the black liquid into each one, 12 in total when he got the chance to count.

"Thank you Buddy." He started drinking each one, watching the wolf run back to the kitchen. He started licking his lips when he could smell bacon being fried with butter and cheese on top. He made a lucky pit-stop coming here of all the places he could go.

He could've jumped the kid as he came out with a huge stack of bacon and an even bigger sandwich because of the smell alone. He didn't get to eat out often.

"More coffee? I'll go get some." He ran back to the kitchen, leaving the jackal to play with his food again, opening up the grilled cheese and stuffing bacon inside, crumbling bits of the muffin and sprinkling them on top of the bacon until the wolf came back and poured more coffee into the collection of cups that were sitting on the table – no doubt upsetting the boss.

"You work hard at your job." The jackal mused, not once giving his murderous glare a rest.

"If I don't work hard, I don't get new glasses." the wolf adjusted his glasses. "Anything else you need?" He sat across from the jackal again, head on the table, tail wagging happily.

"I'm fine right now. This is delicious." And after more sandwich and muffin mutilation he started eating, drinking coffee every few bites even when the coffee started getting cold. He had an odd routine and ways of living, something he didn't intend to give up.

"How long do you need to stay awake?"

The jackal raised an eyebrow.

"That's a lot of coffee." The wolf continued.

"I'm an adventurer myself, staying awake longer means I get more work done, doing more things, making more money."

"You're an adventurer?!" The tail wagging got more aggressive, banging against the chair and table behind him. "What types of adventures do you go on?! Do you save the world just like Sonic does?!"

"Buddy that's enough!" the boss scolded.

"Oh it's fine." The jackal smirked a bit – a new expression! "I suppose you can say I'm a treasure hunter. I'll be off in a few days time for my latest find. I'm not really what you'd call a hero unless your idea of heroism involves raiding tombs and abandoned landmarks for anything that would look good in a museum."

"That's still a lot cooler than working at a place like this." The wolf's tail stopped wagging. "I'm never really going to have adventures like that. What's so heroic or exciting about someone like me?"

The jackal stuffed the crust of his sandwich into his mouth, licking his fingers. "The world has no use for the weak. But you can acknowledge you'll never be true hero material. Not a lot of people realize that. There are people who don't realize that until it's too late and end up risking their lives over an impossible dream."

Despite the fact he was talking with his mouth full and spitting crumbs everywhere Buddy knew he was right. "I mean I'm fine just reading about them but I think everyone dreams of being that hero instead of sitting on the side lines. It won't really be anything but a dream for me." He sighed, tail swishing and banging against the table and chair behind from where he sit.

"You can dream, but as long as you're realistic about them they won't be bad to have. Dreams are wonderful distractions, aren't they child?"

He didn't know how to answer that, staying silent and shifting around uncomfortably as he was given a menacing stare from both his boss as well as the jackal in front of him, eating a scone and leaving crumbs everywhere.

"This has been nice. It's been a long time since I've had a nice conversation over breakfast." He growled a bit, though not out of anger. He combed through his dreadlocks with a gloved hand, covered in grease and saliva. "How much do I owe you child?"

"Um..." The wolf panicked. Gosh he hated being given the death glare and caught off guard. "20 rings."

"That's really all? Feels like I haven't had enough." The jackal smirked a bit, hand over his right eye that had a scar over it. "Well I'm feeling extra generous so let me cover the cost of getting you new glasses. Looking at you with those glasses makes me unable to take you seriously."

Oh gosh someone noticed... It felt like no one else noticed what horrible shape his glasses were in and he got yelled at every time he squinted or had to take the time to adjust them. "You don't have to."

"I want to. Broken glasses are annoying. They make no sense. And they're boring." And out of no where the stranger pulled out a small bag full of rings, sliding it over to Buddy. "20 for the meal. The rest to get you something you can actually see out of without having to squint."

Immediately the wolf felt embarrassed. He didn't like having to squint so hard it just sorta happened whether he realized it or not no matter what pair of glasses he was wearing. He also wasn't used to getting money from random strangers, making him uneasy and like he needed an adult.

Then the jackal stood up, popping his collar and preparing to go out into the rain again.

"Leaving so soon?" Buddy asked.

"I'm afraid it's work related but I'll come back. You working again tomorrow kid?"

"I'm here every day."

"Good enough for me."

"Enjoy the rest of your day."

"Get new glasses." The jackal opened the door to let himself out and after receiving a nod from the wolf in compliance that was followed by a wagging tail he smirked and got out of the store and back into the rain.

At the time Buddy didn't think much of it, just going back to work and cleaning up the mess in the kitchen while his boss read the newspaper and listened to the radio in the empty store. Afterward he was given permission to leave early to get himself new glasses.

 **Chapter 1 end**


	2. Chapter 2

I came to the realization that this fanfic might make you hungry.

If you're wondering what in the world Infinite was doing, it's one of my headcanons that he gets bored very easily and has almost ADHD, OCD or autistic compulsion to mess with certain things – in this example it was food so they're more entertaining. Given his career prior to becoming "Infinite", he's probably not used to eating with utensils or with typical manners either. I get the impression that he's sort of the Izuru Kamakura (Danganronpa) of the cast sort of like Shadow was intended to be. But unlike Shadow who had powerful relationships with other people to keep him sane and emotionally centered (Maria, Team Dark, etc.), Infinite has just sort of stewed in who he is and what he does and is more of a solitary character over all so the only thing he can rely on is himself and his talents.

Enjoy more awkward Infinite and Buddy.

 **Buddies**

The day after that meeting with that mysterious jackal Buddy had gotten himself new glasses: simple black frames without cracks in the lenses. He went back to work just like normal only to find the same customer from yesterday sitting in the window seat, looking at a menu.

He went back inside, adjusting his frames. "You came back after all. Did you just get here?"

The jackal looked back at the open door. "I've been here for a bit. I was waiting for you. I'm thinking pancakes."

"I'm on it. Coffee to start out with?"

"Maybe just water. Orange juice sounds alright."

"Got it." And off Buddy went, starting with bringing the man a glass of water and a glass of orange juice before going back and making pancakes on a flat-top, smothering them with butter. He flipped a stack of 10 onto a plate and left the kitchen with the plate in one hand and a jug of syrup in the other, walking back to the customer who was sniffing his juice.

"That was fast. You're a hard worker. Good work ethic." He said, looking at the stack in front of him.

"I'll be right back and get you a fork and-."

"It's fine. I'd rather eat with my hands." And like a casino card dealer he shuffled the pancakes like playing cards in an almost obsessive fashion before soaking each one in syrup.

The wolf would've commented on the way the man ate but at the same time, he was nice enough to pay for a new pair of glasses so who was he to say the man needed manners?

"You need anything else?"

"Fruit. Maybe some pomegranate seeds."

"I uh... Don't know if we have any actually. I'll go check." And off Buddy went, back to the kitchen while the jackal grabbed his stack of pancakes like a sandwich and took a bite out of all of them, syrup all over the front of his jacket and on the table.

He managed to scarf the rest of it down without an issue, mouth completely stuffed trying to chew on something so fluffy and covered in syrup. Then the wolf came back.

"Sorry, we don't have any but I can get you something else."

The jackal tried asking 'what else do you got?' but his mouth was so stuffed with pancakes failing to be dissolved by saliva that crumbs flew everywhere and syrup started going down the side of his mouth. Realizing this he wiped his mouth with his arm, tried his best to swallow and not choke in front of the kid.

"Um, should I get you more water?"

He slammed a fist down on the table, finally swallowing his food and then coughing once to clear his throat. "I'll be fine. I overestimated... Those things looked so thin I thought I could..." The jackal grabbed the glass or orange juice still on the table and shot the whole glass back.

"Heh... You sure you don't need anything else?"

"Maybe just juice and a little more casual conversation – not too unlike yesterday. That was the reason I decided to come back."

Buddy immediately felt both flattered and that he needed an adult to oversee the conversation in case he was at risk of being taken to this guy's house and appointed a position as a very different sort of 'buddy'.

"If it's not any trouble of course. I was just curious about a few things." The stranger drank his water in a relatively normal way, taking his time with it, sipping at a moderate pace before putting the glass down over the ring it made on the table.

"Like what?" Buddy sat down in the chair across him.

"I guess I'm eager to know what a kid so obsessed with heroism like you knows about current events, celebrities, local things. My work allows me to travel a lot but I'm not going to be leaving for another couple of days and I'm bored of my hotel room. I want more. I feel empty otherwise."

"Local things..." And then Buddy's eyes lit up. "Well Sonic is pretty famous but I don't know whether or not to say he's a local. I mean there's a saying that all roads lead back to Green Hill Zone but-."

"Ah yes, that Sonic character! He was in the news article about Eggman the other day but as no more than a name. What's he like?"

Buddy slammed his hands down on the table in true fanboy fashion, tail erect and wagging wildly. "Sonic is great! He runs at super fast speeds and he's always the one fighting Doctor Eggman! I mean without Sonic we probably wouldn't be here today! He's apparently been at it for YEARS! LIKE YEARS! I was probably just a pup back then if I was born at all."

The jackal smirked. "Sounds like you're a fan."

"Well, I'm a fan but it's not like I'm obsessed or anything." Buddy sat back down, tail flopping back down and tucking itself between his legs. His face was red. "I mean I just find it cool. I'm a coward so even if I had that sort of power I wouldn't know what to do with it. I'd probably just use it for myself or for really mundane things and even if I did who's to say I would be better at my job?"

"I think you're perfect for food service."

"Eheh... Well if I had super-speed here I'd probably be clumsy. I'd rush to get everyone's food to them in a few seconds and I'd screw up a lot of orders. If I had super sonic speed I would drop a lot more plates than I already do, I'd be fired." He looked down at his gloved hands. "What good would I be if I had that sort of power?"

"It'd good that you're down to earth about it. No use trying to fly to the sun over it." The jackal took another sip of water.

Buddy scratched his ears. "You say that but at the same time I don't really know what else to do with my life. I mean I'm always going to dream about being something bigger than myself – it's out of my control. And I don't know if I could keep working a job like this my whole life. It's something I'm conflicted about."

"That fire in you is going to be hard to snuff out, huh?" The jackal's smirk disappeared, turning into a look of disappointment. "Well the sad thing about heroes is that they can be defeated. Who's to say the next one to beat Sonic isn't right around the corner? Just waiting in the shadows to steal the limelight from him?"

"Well, Eggman's been trying to beat Sonic for years and he's never won once!"

"That Eggman character seems like a baboon too blind by his own ambitions to seriously defeat that Sonic you keep talking about. Unless he had something that would help him cheat the system of these things – he could never defeat Sonic. It would take something much more powerful to defeat your hero. Something with a lot more power and an actual brain in their heads."

"I don't think anyone can defeat Sonic! Not ever!" Buddy exclaimed, not realizing how much of an obsessive fan he looked like at that moment. He was sweating a bit just at the thought of Sonic being defeated by anybody. "He's not just some celebrity. He's a real hero! If someone were able to defeat someone like Sonic that would mean the end of-!"

The jackal laughed. "My my... Quite a passion you have for Sonic right there."

Oh gosh... Buddy should've known better than to go on and on about Sonic. He wouldn't exactly describe it as Sonic passion, more just a fanboy getting carried away in a 'my hero can defeat your hero' sort of way. Granted Sonic did have a nearly flawless record over the years when it came to defeating Eggman and any other villain that posed a threat to the world but it was still something he was embarrassed by. It wasn't something you'd bring up very often in public unless it was appropriate and he even saw his boss taking a peak out of the window from the kitchen.

The boss wasn't much for fanboyism of any kind, too old a hedgehog Buddy thought – too old to really enjoy things the kids were interested in these days and whatever he was passionate about if there was anything he kept to himself. What a grumpy old man.

"I-I'm sorry sir... I shouldn't have spoken like that." Buddy stood up. "I forgot. You asked for more juice earlier right? I'll go get some." He walked back to the kitchen.

He was flustered, red in the face as well as his fur and his tail tucked between his legs. He adjusted his glasses and tried to avoid eye contact with his boss as he went to the fridge packed with drinks and retrieved a pitcher of orange juice. He went back to the jackal outside, pouring juice in the glass.

"I've upset you, haven't I?" He asked, looking at the wolf who's glasses were mysteriously fogging up.

"No. Really I'm fine. I shouldn't have spoke that way." Buddy took his glasses off, wiping the fog away with a napkin.

"Well I know something that'll make you feel better." The jackal started drinking his orange juice. "You got a nice pair of glasses. Glad you could get new ones after all."

Buddy's ears drooped down but he was smiling regardless. "T-Thank you sir."

"The framed are plain and ordinary but they fit you perfectly. Anything else and it would look too flashy on you. It's best to keep things simple kid." The jackal then took the kid's glasses, putting them back on his face. "They were crooked before. I would've said something earlier but you were entertaining me too much and I didn't want to interrupt that."

Buddy looked at the jackal even more embarrassed than he was before in addition to being confused. "Um... Thanks? I mean you didn't have to-."

The jackal stood up. "I wanted to. That's the whole reason I came back here. And if you're here again tomorrow I'll be back tomorrow. How much do I owe you?"

"14 rings."

And like the day before the stranger took out the amount that was owed and then some. "Keep the extra for yourself. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Um... How much longer do you plan on staying in Park Avenue?" Buddy asked. "I-I'm just curious is all..."

He smirked, turning his body away from the wolf but still looking at him from the side. "A few more days then I'll have to take leave. Mystic Jungle has my name written all over it – but alas there are still things I need to take care of. But as long as you're here to keep me entertained I won't be bored out of my mind in my hotel room." He walked out to the door and opened it. "See you tomorrow."

And on the way out Buddy could've sworn he saw the man smile...

He thought maybe the man wasn't so weird after all. He could be friendly, he just had weird habits and a way of speaking that made it difficult for people to get to know him. Even he didn't know anything about him but there was just this charisma he had. It could've come from the scar or how he seemed to hate using utensils and ate like a feral animal.

He alluded to having grand adventures and hunting treasure yet to talked down to Buddy when it came to his dreams of being a hero or being special in some extraordinary way. He was staying in Park Avenue for work but he never said where he was staying asking for local stories and news but he brushed them off as though he surpassed all of them. He was mysterious, interesting... Buddy wanted to know more about him and he found himself almost idolizing someone he had only just met.

He wanted to know more.

His boss came out of the kitchen. "That guy sure if a weird one, isn't he?"

Buddy laughed awkwardly. "He is, but he's sort of cool too."

"Think that's the only guy I've seen rile you up over your superhero things before." He did see that interaction...

"O-Oh gosh... Well, I didn't mean to get so worked up over it! I just got carried away is all. It won't happen again. Honest!"

"Well that doesn't really matter in the long run. I got a phone call today from family of mine. I'm gonna give the grand kids some valuable work experience by having them work here for the rest of the summer. I wanted to give you this too." And from the pocket in his apron, the boss pulled out a pink slip of paper in addition to a white one.

"Oh... Well, I don't really know what to say."

He did know. He was angry but too much of a coward to make a big deal out of it. He was fired. Plain and simple. Nothing more to it that 'you're fired' or 'you've become redundant' or 'it'd be cheaper to have members of my family work for me than to keep you around.'

But Buddy smiled through it, bowed his head, took his papers and left the premises without any conflict. No need to start a fight over something like a part-time job.

He was too nice... He said he would wash the dishes left by the stranger and leave. So he did, leaving the deli one last time and telling himself he wouldn't go back there. Now he could do whatever he wanted with his afternoons and evenings but he didn't know what.

Considering looking for the stranger he went to the town square: it was a hub for locals and tourists alike. There were a few cheap hotels in the area and other tourist traps, general stores, public art displays, benches to sit town or take a nap on if one felt inclined. He just wouldn't have known where to start looking. He could use the ear to vent to...

 **Chapter 2 end**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter: a bit more characterization based on my headcanon for these too – including giving Infinite a name that's not Infinite (I'm also just tired of calling him simply 'the jackal'). It's kinda boring but I don't feel like he'd really stick to one name due to the fact he is the Izuru Kamakura of Sonic Forces and hates boredom. Plus with being a mercenary he would probably swap through multiple aliases for his own safety.**

 **I also realized that I might've wrote these two with some yaoi-ish undertones but that's in no way intentional, I guess I sort of picture Infinite in a way that would make him a person to be idolized despite the fact he'd be a terrible person and role model in-universe. Meanwhile poor Buddy is none the wiser and is just a cute lil' nerd obsessed with heroism, making him something like uke bait.**

The jackal went back to that deli the next day. He thought about having more coffee, some grapefruit, buttered biscuits and a chicken sandwich stuffed with as much chicken as could fit between a set of buns but as soon as he went inside he was greeted by the owner directly.

"Welcome back. Can I get you anything?"

"I'm going to need a lot of coffee." He sniffed the air. "Something's off. This place smells a lot more boring than usual."

"Boring huh?" The old hedgehog asked. "Well, if you're looking for Buddy he's been let go."

"He's not here? Where did he go?" How dare the old man let him leave. "Why was he let go?"

"I'm the boss, I make the rules."

He wasn't about to murder the old man for the sake of one young wolf but the boredom was driving him insane. He'd been cooped up in his hotel room planning his trip to the Mystic Jungle with the rest of Squad Jackal and had been looking forward to coming back. The food was good, the entertainment was decent and he took such delight in trying to crush the wolf's dreams of becoming something like his role model Sonic.

He resisted the urge to take his sword out and get information about Buddy's whereabouts with threats of violence or property damage. "That's much too bad..." And he turned toward the door. "I'm not coming back. This place is boring now. It would've been less boring if you kept that wolf around. Goodbye." And he exited the deli, vowing to never go back because he found it so boring.

Now what?

He went back to the town square, hoping to find something that would distract him long enough to not let the boredom get to him. He hated being bored. He hated it with a passion. Boredom was a thing he absolutely couldn't stand no matter what. This damn town was starting to get boring.

...

Through sheer luck and a lot of begging Gadget managed to get a temporary gig at a hole in the wall accessory store in town square right smack in the middle of a tourist trap. There was a fountain in the square that attracted tourist and local alike so chances are if that jackal were staying near by he could run into him. He wondered if he was back at that deli, ordering monstrous amounts of food and probably alarming the staff that was currently running the place.

Being fired so suddenly still left a bad taste in his mouth. He felt so cheated but there was nothing he could do about it. He didn't have the confidence to make a big fuss over something out of his control. The poor wolf just grinned and bore it, never biting the hand that kept him employed for that time. He was weak but if he started a fight about it he'd be the one in trouble. All he could do was sit down, listen to the radio that was always turned on at a low volume at the stand and either daydream to the stories being told through the radio waves or people-watch. And he chose the former: thinking of his hero Sonic stopping another one of Eggman's plans when the doctor was mentioned on the radio.

"It's too bad you were fired from your job." The jackal's voice woke the wolf up from the nap he unintentionally took – head on a wall and rear end numb from the stool he was forced to sit on.

"Oh gosh..." He was embarrassed and ashamed, hoping that for the love of everything living on Mobius that no one decided to steal a scarf or a packet of tissues while he was dozing off.

"Is this job boring for you? You were much more suited for a job where you were on your feet. It was so nice seeing you run back and forth. The food the way you made it wasn't bad either." The jackal looked at him with that death glare again, but this time he was smiling a normal looking smile. "Buddy, right?"

"Well... Gadget..." The wolf adjusted his glasses. "I guess Buddy just sort of became a nickname."

"Buddy is one of those words that can be used in multiple connotations. Words that have several meanings are fun. It makes the world less boring." The jackal started looking at the display of scarves. "You know this town is surprisingly boring. I've already been everywhere a traveler can go. The place I used to eat breakfast became boring. And I haven't even eaten this morning because I wanted to see you so badly."

The wolf's glasses fogged up a bit and his face reddened. "But why someone like me sir? I'm unexciting. I'm weak. I didn't even have the guts to one-up my boss and give him what was coming to him, heh."

"Oh? So you do harbor some anger then."

"Well, I think it's normal to be angry but what can I do? I'm just a kid."

"Oh there are plenty of things you could do about it Buddy."

"Like what?"

"You could take your revenge. I'm sure you know the place inside out. With a little bit of gasoline and a stove you could have the place go up in flames."

Buddy froze. "Y-You're not serious are you?"

"I mean you could but I know you're not going to." And then he picked up a white scarf, wrapping it around his neck. "This is warm."

"Y-Yeah..."

"Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Buddy shook his head. "I'll be fine... I guess I was just um. Um. Well."

"Go on."

"I was wondering why you were looking for me sir..." Oh gosh he said it. He wanted to leave the stand right then and there to go home, lock himself in his room, read his Sonic comics and listen to music and shut the rest of the world away. And while the jackal was no hero he did talk about going on adventures, even though he never seemed to go into full detail about it since he was stuffing his face with food. "I-I'm sorry sir!"

But rather than scolding the kid the jackal simply laughed only loud enough for him and the wolf to hear. "Well to be frank: you're entertaining."

The jackal been cooped up in his hotel room planning his trip to the Mystic Jungle with a group of other jackals who were all strategically placed throughout Park Avenue. How he had been looking forward to going back to that deli. The food was good, the entertainment was decent and he took such delight in trying to crush the wolf's dreams of becoming something like his role model Sonic. The wolf seemed to want to change so badly. But the world was no place for dreamers without the proper drive to achieve their goals. Buddy was one such person without the proper drive to succeed.

His fangs were visible when he smirked an even larger smirk than before. "I find you very entertaining Buddy. And seeing how I'll be leaving earlier than expected I at least wanted to say goodbye, have one last meal with you. Then I'll have to be on my way."

"You're leaving Park Avenue?" The wolf asked. "I was hoping you could stay longer but..."

"Alas that's how the working world is. The preparations were completed last night, final touches are being taken care of today. I'll be leaving for the jungle in the evening tomorrow."

"Oh... It's too bad..." The wolf's ears drooped down.

"Was there something you wanted from me?"

"Well..." He turned away, inhaled deeply and then looked back at the jackal with a look of childish hope in his eyes. "I was wondering what kind of adventures you've been on since you said you were a treasure hunter! That's all it was."

And for the first time he saw the jackal's tail wag; tail moving in a slow and smooth motion, looking noble and mature. "My, is that so?"

"Y-Yeah... Is that bad?" The wolf held onto his tail, twisting it around in his hands and sweating.

"What is it that you want to know?"

"Everything!" At that moment the jackal saw a spark in the wolf's eyes. "I wanna know about all the adventures you've gone on! What treasures you find! Everything you can tell me!"

Oh that spark in his eyes – the spark of a child with a vibrant imagination...

The jackal put a hand to his chin, eyes closed in happy contemplation. "You're not a bad kid. I suppose I can entertain you. When do you get off work?"

"I mean I can close up anytime I want, not one comes here anyway. But you will have to pay for that." The wolf pointed at the scarf the jackal was wearing.

"Ah yes, this. It's nice."

"Heh... It makes you look more heroic in my opinion."

"A hero you say?"

Oh he was so fond of that word, what an obsession he had with the mere word! How amusing it was.

"Yeah... I think it looks cool! That's all it is!" The wolf's tail escaped his grip, instinctively wagging wildly. "It makes you look like a real adventurer! Who knows, maybe it'll catch on and even Sonic would start wearing one!"

The jackal simply mused, taking out a string of gold rings and throwing it at the kid and watching him tuck it away in a pocket on a belt he hadn't seen him wear before. "If you insist..." He cleared his throat. "Do you know any good places to get a good meal? I'm thinking chicken. Chicken on top of pancakes with chopped up hot dogs in the middle. Maybe with cheese."

"Eheh..." Buddy hesitated, standing up and his tail plopping down and smacking the backs of his knees. "Um... Well I wasn't going to ask about it before but how did you get such um... a... unique appetite?"

"Why not? It's less boring that way." He was smiling. "But some advice from me to you: relying too much on utterances is too boring. If you want to say something just say it child."

"Um... Yes sir." Then he remembered something important. "Oh um... Actually since we're hanging out I was wondering what your name was sir." He adjusted his glasses, pushing shelves and display cases into compartments before closing a shutter and closing up shop.

"Jack. Jack and Jackal." He extended a hand.

The wolf smiled a bit, shaking his friend's hand. "Gadget the Wolf. But I guess you've already decided to just call me Buddy, huh?"

"It sounds more interesting. You lack any gadgets or equipment for me to call you by your actual name. Besides, I suppose you think we're friends now?" Jack smirked, stoking the scar on his eye. "Isn't 'buddy' another term for friend?"

"You really mean we're friends?"

"For today, we can be." He bore his fangs. "Now since you're such a good _buddy_ , you wouldn't mind suggesting a good place to eat now would you?"

"Well yeah, I've lived in Park Avenue my whole life. I can show you anything you want!"

"Your entire life? Sounds boring." Jack motioned his head to the side, telling the wolf to get moving so they wouldn't be standing in the same place for too long.

Buddy complied, walking alongside the jackal. He was smiling contently. "I know it's boring but I've got no where else to go and there's no place I'd rather be. I mean I wanna know more about your adventures of course but you know..."

"You never give up, do you?"

"Heh. I guess not. I'm still a nerd."

"So about a place to eat..."

"Oh! Yeah, there's an all you can eat buffet not too far away. It's only 20 rings per person."

"You mean the one by the hotel or the one in the hotel?"

"The one next to it, next to the park."

"I've already been, it was okay but quickly got boring... I've been banned from the one at the hotel too. Apparently they accused me of loitering, taking too long to eat. How despicable!"

"Oh gosh... Well, what about pizza?"

"I've already had a few of those."

"Oh... Pasta?"

"No thanks."

"What about steak?"

"I suppose I could do steak but I'm not a suit and tie kind of diner. If I'm making steak I'm cooking it myself on an open fire. Might even eat it raw if I were hungry enough."

"Heh." Buddy's mouth watered at the thought of it. "That actually sounds really good. Maybe some venison or wild turkey to go with it! I should try that!"

Jack bore his fangs, mouth also starting to water. "You fail to suppress one's appetite. You really are a natural for food service. You should also never go to a starving zone..."

"Oh gosh..." He adjusted his glasses, trying to hide the fact his muzzle was turning red at the compliment. "Well if steak is too formal, what about something not formal at all? There are plenty of food stands in the area. I walk by them every day on my way to work."

"What kind of food stands?"

"Well, there's a hot dog stand I like. How do you feel about chili dogs?"

Buddy didn't want to admit that the only reason he even occasionally ate chili dogs was because of Sonic. And even then normal, plain hot dogs were fine but whenever he ate a chili dog it was one of those foods he would take forever to eat because he couldn't tell whether or not he genuinely liked it.

"That Sonic fellow eats those, correct?" Jack put a finger to his chin. "I saw an ad for it in the paper but quickly got bored. I'm not too fond of food endorsed by celebrities."

"Oh..." Honestly Buddy was somewhat relieved to hear that. "I've eaten maybe one or two somewhat recently. I can't really tell if I like them or not anyway." For that he also blamed the awful phase he went through where he'd try to eat them for every meal and made himself sick of them.

"That aside, I'd rather have an actual meal be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or something in between. A simple hot dog can't satisfy. I would probably need at least 10 to 15 to fill me up."

"Oh gosh..." He tried to think of something. "Well for breakfast and lunch there are a few indie coffee shops near by! I sung karaoke at one of them but then I got too embarrassed to ever go back..."

Jack snickered. "I could use some coffee."

Buddy snicked as well. "Actually maybe a coffee shop isn't a good idea..."

"You're right. Too boring. Too mundane."

"No, not that. I was going to say that I don't think they'd be able to handle um..."

"You're going to say they can't handle my appetite either, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Buddy suddenly got a pat on the back, one so hard it caused him to lose his footing.

"It's nice to have someone so concerned about me and how I'll be precieved by this town. It's not going to matter by tomorrow but-."

"Actually I have a better idea!" Buddy grabbed the jackal by the wrist. "I mean, we're friends right? We can always hang out at my place! Food's always free there!"

Jack felt his face heat up for a brief moment, now extremely concerned about how he would be precieved by the public since a child was asking a fully grown jackal to 'head to his place' to 'hang out'.

"Buddy, listen, money is no object. It doesn't matter so-." But the wolf just started dragging him in the other direction, turning a corner and down a familiar street. Though part of him was concerned the other part of him wondered how fun it could be.

Commercialism was boring. Every restaurant in town merely tolerated him and the only one that didn't seem to care whatsoever about his manners at the table fired their best employee – with said employee dragging him to what he could only determine was his apartment.

Then again, he was a child who likely lived at home with parents, siblings and so fourth. Surely it wasn't normal for a child to bring an adult home – calling them a friend no less! But he stood silent, his face flushed with concern morphing into his usual smirk. He thought about how fun it could be. It had been a long time since he had a normal meal in a normal home.

 **Chapter 3 end**

 **Next chapter will likely be the last. I hope this little ride has been fun for everyone.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Remember the mention of "unintentional yaoi undertones"? This chapter might have a few more of those, but this story isn't meant to be a yaoi – just pure friendship, character building/destruction and a smidge of angst. This is where the two personalities really begin colliding, this is where we see drastic change and development/destruction in both of these different yet similar people.**

 **I feel like if you're going for a "Buddy and Infinite knew each other prior to Forces" theory, the climax of their relationship would be something akin to The Count of Monte Cristo and Albert de Morcerf from Alexandre Dumas' "The Count of Monte Cristo". You have the much older character (The Count) being the idol of the young character (Albert) and when they do have their falling out it's a powerful moment you know changes those characters forever (though what 'changes' each experience differs from whether you're thinking about the original novel or the anime Gankustuo: The Count of Monte Cristo).**

 **This is also likely going to be the last chapter, so I hope this little corny story goes out with a bang. I've enjoyed writing it myself and I'd definitely like to write more Buddy and Infinite material in the future if I can think of any good ideas. And as a sort of weird running motif: this chapter may make you hungry...**

 **Buddies**

Buddy dragged the jackal to a stucco apartment painted in vibrant colors, opening the door with his keys and climbing up the stairs to the third floor – the last floor in this building. Fumbling with a set of keys he opened the door, calling out to parents that weren't home.

His tail wagged. "This is better than I thought. I was hoping I'd be home alone."

"Any reason for that?" Jack asked. "I suppose it's normal for a child to crave their independence but I suppose for you there's a special reason you want to be alone."

"It's because it's easier." After guiding Jack to the small table for two in the kitchen he went back to the front door, closing it using the default lock as well as the latch above it. "I never told anyone about us being friends. And if you're leaving tomorrow anyway there's no point in telling anyone else. And that way I can get all of your stories uninterrupted!"

Ah there it was: he confessed, he was guilty. It was adventure he craved and he could very well hold the man hostage here for hours on end in order to hear them all.

Jack smiled, looking out of the kitchen window. "Something tells me you're used to being alone. You're the type to keep secrets under that friendly facade aren't you?"

"What do you mean?" Buddy started digging cans of ground coffee, sugar and other spices out of cabinets.

"I mean you look nice and all but there are plenty of things you don't tell people. Like me for example: you haven't told anyone about meeting me and you were hoping you'd be left at home unchaperoned." stroking his scar the jackal sighed contently. "There has to be much more to it than that. The truth is that you're not a very nice little wolf... Am I correct?"

Buddy's tail fell flat, smacking the back of his knees and his glasses fogging up. "What do you mean?"

"I suppose I mean two things that are currently colliding with one another. The first is that while you try to act naive about it, you're aware that this _relationship_ between the two of us isn't normal: hence why you've been keeping me a secret and why you were so ecstatic about being home alone." he shot a look at the red wolf, standing stationary in front of the cabinet. "The second is that your facade is cracking in front of me."

Buddy stood completely silent, getting milk out of the fridge and plugging a coffee taker into a nearby socket.

"Well Buddy, I don't really mind you breaking your facade. In fact I'd like to get to know your other sides as well as the kind, gentle and attentive side you've been putting on display since we've met. If we're really _buddies_ then you'd feel comfortable with me knowing about those sorts of things, right?"

"Like what?" Buddy looked at his friend quickly only to turn his attention to the coffee maker. "You take it black?"

"Yes, black coffee is best." The jackal watched Buddy run to the sink and fill a coffee pot with water.

"So what were you talking about? Something about me pretending to be nice?" The wolf had been caught completely off guard with such a statement. He was a naturally nice person, if a little clumsy and nerdy with wavering self-confidence. But he wasn't faking being nice with anybody...

"Oh no, I'm not trying to imply that your kindness has been a deception."

He scooped coffee grounds into the coffee maker before pouring the water in. "Then what about me am I lying about?"

"If I were to give you all the answers then no lesson would truly be learned, child."

"I-I'm not a child..." And despite the fact he was feeling slightly uncomfortable having this person in his home and acting so strange (in a way that he couldn't give a name to), he sat in the chair across the jackal and put his head down.

"You are a child. But that alone is nothing to be ashamed of." Jack extended a hand. "You're just a curious one is all. And let's not forget: you are the reason I'm still here."

For once, Buddy said nothing.

"I know what will put a smile back on your face. I'll show you something you've likely never seen before." And out of his jacket he pulled out a red sword with a blue handle, placing it on the table and he knew he had the wolf's attention yet again.

"Where did you get something like this?"

"On my travels of course. It was a relic from some desert zone. But I've had it for the longest time. In my line of work you need this sort of protection." He pushed it toward the wolf. "Go on, see for yourself."

Buddy picked up the red blade, admiring the craftsmanship. "This is cool. That explains why you've been wearing that huge coat this whole time too." A smile returned to his face. "So what kind of adventures has this sword seen? Or maybe you can tell me how you got it?"

"It was a long time ago in a desert zone I can't remember the name of. A few friends of mine and I decided we should raid a tomb. It was a pyramid on the verge of collapse but my squad and I managed to get in, took everything we could find and got out. And somewhere in the pile of coinage and ancient artifacts I found that sword. All I did was sharpen it. It was still in perfect condition but definitely an out of place object – meaning it was likely left behind after someone else tried to go tomb raiding. Got paid quite a lot that time too."

"Is it a profitable line of work?"

"It can be, provided you know the right people and you have no limits."

"No limits?"

Jack smirked. "You can't be a coward in my line of work."

Coffee maker started dripping coffee into the pot. "Oh, looks like it's gonna be done soon." He got up and took a mug out of the cabinet for himself, placing it on the counter before scouring through the kitchen for other ingredients, pots and pans.

The jackal's tail wagged slowly. "Smells divine."

The wolf poured some black coffee the mug on the counter and walked back to the table, giving his guest the entire coffee pot. He smirked. "It's probably better to drink straight out of the pot instead of using a thousand mugs."

"How cheeky of you." Bearing a single fang while smiling he gladly accepted the entire pot, holding it close to his chest like some cheap but precious prize.

"I'll go get started on brunch." And running back to the fridge he pulled out various bowls covered in aluminum foil, a bag of shredded cheese, a package of bacon and so fourth which only caused the jackal's mouth to water and his tail to wag in that same sophisticated and suave sort of way it was wagging earlier.

Needless to say he took occasional sips from the huge coffee pot while lunch-time aromas hit his nose and made him want to pounce on the wolf for driving him to hunger. And just when he lapped up the last drop of black coffee the wolf saved himself from getting attacked from a hungry jackal by putting two plates of food on the table.

Buddy simply smiled, glasses fogged up from the steam rising up from the plates. "So for brunch we have three pieces of fried chicken each, two beef hot dogs, a side of mashed potatoes covered in gravy with chunks of venison, two mini-waffles smothered in syrup, three eggs made sunny side up covered in seasoning and bacon bits and dessert is roasting in the oven."

If the jackal was to die tonight, he would die happy and well fed. "Dessert?"

"For dessert I'm making steak covered in steak sauce and some baked mac and cheese. But I was going to make that whether or not you came over anyway. Mom and dad usually come home late so I usually end up cooking so they can eat as soon as they get home."

"And what a good son you must be, cooking for your parents like that."

"Well, it's nothing really. I'm just being nice is all. And this much food is bound to last a few days for me or for them!" Buddy sat down opposite of his friend, fork and knife in hand and digging into the heart attack on a plate he had made for himself. "Something wrong, Jack? You're not eating."

Jack gave him a look he was slightly creeped out by. His tone of voice didn't help either, but he looked happy over all – impressed even! "I'm just flattered that someone such as yourself decided to go through all this trouble just to spoil me and keep me entertained~."

The wolf dropped his fork on his lap, feeling like he needed an adult before forcing himself to eat.

Jack started eating – using utensils for once, scooping up as much food as he could on one fork-full before shoving food in his pie hole. He was obviously distracted by 'dessert' in the oven which made him eat a lot slower than he had been over the past few days. But he ate regardless, finishing before the wolf across him and lapping up whatever juices, oils and chunks of food were left on the plate once he was done being formal.

The wolf hunched over, hands on his stomach and head crashing down next to his plate on the table. "I don't know how you eat that much. I don't think I have enough room left for a sip of water let alone dessert."

His plate still had food on it, enough to be the jackal's dinner the following evening. He tapped the wolf on the nose with his fork. "Come on, you can't be an adventurer if you don't have the stomach for it!"

Buddy was caught off guard. He was being inconsistent again. He was told so many times that he shouldn't pursue an adventurous lifestyle or career and suddenly he was having mashed potatoes covered in deer meat and syrup shoved in his face. If only out of wanting to have his friend stick around he submitted, ate the fork-full and swallowed. Then his muzzle turned red when he felt a leather glove petting him on the head.

"Y-YOU DON'T HAVE TO PET ME JACK, I'M NOT A PUPPY!" He received what sounded like a mix between a purr and a growl, forcing the hand off of his head with a small growl of his own.

Jack smiled. "I just get a kick out of you being so young, innocent and attentive. Besides, you invited me here, little wolf. And I'm not asking you to be nice all the time. If there's any bite to your bark, you should show it."

Buddy did start growling in a hushed tone, not wanting to be treated as a puppy. "That reminds me: earlier you told me something similar. You said something about me just pretending to be nice to people or something like that."

"Ah~ You're bringing that up now. How astute of you." Jack's tail wagged like a puppy, wild and with fur flying side to side in rapid repetition. "We both know I'm not lying though. That's the sad thing isn't it?"

More growling from the pup of the two.

The older dog's ears simply perked up. "Yes, just like that. I want you to show me the side of you that isn't always the nice little pup always cooking and running around kitchens."

And to the jackal's surprise he received a smirk from the wolf, fangs on display. "Well, I've been thinking about what you've been trying to tell me over the past few days and I realized something! Actually it convinced me to revive an old project I was working on! I was thinking that since you showed me your sword, maybe I can show you my own special weapon."

That glimmer of hope returned, disappointing the jackal but he kept up the facade of being happy for the kid. "Oh~?"

"Yeah. I mean I know you've been telling me to think realistically about my life, but I can't put that hero stuff behind me entirely! So I had another idea that's a little bit of both, but it's gonna require some testing on my end." The wolf got up, tail stiff and unable to wag or retreat in between his legs as he walked rapidly to his room to fetch his project.

He couldn't deny the fact he was a nerd. He'd been working on it for about a year and a half. One night while talking with friends he thought up a concept for a grappling hook that could be worn on a bracelet or concealed in a glove. And so he'd been building one out of spare parts, scrap metal and a tool kit with missing parts that had to be improvised with other implements no professional would ever recommend or dare using themselves.

There were a few tests he could do in the comfort of his own room – a cave of fanboyism and childhood dreams of becoming like his idols that were mixing with more teenage or adult interests like inventing, science, gaming and so forth. He'd tested the ability to retract the hook and rope, damaged his walls testing out different hook types and covering up the holes with posters; simple tests you could do in a make-shift workshop that was in reality a crumbling bedroom for one in a two bedroom apartment.

The big test would be firing the thing to the roof of his building and scale the walls outside in several different directions and at different speeds. That'd be the only way to perfect it. He planned on doing it 'at some point' but that point never came. He had put the project on the shelf. He had left it alone entirely and forgot about it.

It wasn't until his friend showed up, every conversation making him think about it again. Even if he couldn't become a big-time hero like Sonic and his friends perhaps – in some small way – he could-.

"Reports say that the Blue Blur and his pink partner were seen canoodling in Green Hill Zone. This has lead to some speculations that the two are-." Oh gosh, Jack was reading one of the articles on the walls...

"Q-QUIT SNOOPING AROUND!" Buddy ripped the clipping off of the wall, crunching it up in his hands. But of course, being the nice wolf pup that he was he apologized. "I'm really sorry for getting so defensive! I just don't have people come into my room that often! And I thought I told you to wait in the kitchen!"

"You didn't say anything about waiting in that tiny kitchen." Jack smirked. "So this is your room then. Since we're such good _buddies_ I hope you don't mind me saying that this seems a little... Obsessive?"

He pointed to the newspaper clippings on the walls – articles of how Sonic had saved the world from alien mind control, a chaotic monster that flooded a city he'd never even heard of, a snake that wasn't really a threat but could've been... Not to mention the posters – posters he'd had since childhood. Some of which were even put in frames due to their fragility and age (and as another way to conceal the holes he made in the walls). The room itself was painted royal blue as well – the same color as Sonic's fur. It was that color since they'd moved into that apartment but what a happy coincidence that had been. How that fact made the young wolf pup smile when he was still young enough to actually be called a puppy without it being an insult.

The jackal growled in a funny sort of way that was both threatening yet amusing as he lightly tapped his sword against the wall, pointing out the articles full of celebrity gossip regarding Sonic and his friends. "So this is how far your obsession goes... You collect absolutely everything Sonic-related and surround yourself in it. You indulge in it to no end." he smiled with his fangs peeking out. "You have no idea how much you entertain me Buddy~."

"What are you doing with that thing?" Buddy backed away, slapping the black grappling hook prototype onto his wrist.

The jackal looked at his blade with a bored expression. "Oh, this? I assumed your secret weapon was an actual weapon but I see no guns, no swords or anything in here."

"Well no. I-I'm too weak for actual weapons so-."

"What was that?" the jackal tilted his head, faining innocence he didn't have. "You're _weak_ , you say?"

"I already told you this..." his friend was being strange again. "I-I'm weak... I can't handle an actual weapon so why would I have one?"

"Then what was this 'secret weapon' you wanted to show me?"

"It's not a weapon at all. It's a grappling hook actually! I wanted to show it to you because, you know... In your career you could probably use something like it!" tail wagging, his confidence was showing loud and clear as he walked up toward the jackal and showed him his glove. "See, you can conceal it on or under a glove and then-!"

The jackal studied the wolf's gloved hands and the bracelet that concealed the grappling hook. "I suppose that's a nice design but surely these already exist somewhere. Not that impressive when you think about it."

"Oh... Well, it's not like I was planning on selling it to the public or anything, I just made it for myself on a whim. See, my friends and I got into this conversation about-!"

The jackal grumbled. "Would you mind not talking about some people I don't know?"

The wolf apologized with a slight bow of the head and a few nervous 'heh's.

"So no matter what I tell you you're going to keep pursing this heroism stuff, aren't you?"

"Well, I didn't exactly plan on it." he adjusted his glasses. "I guess what I'm saying was that you inspired me Jack..."

Jack tilted his head to the side with a smirk on his face and a fang sticking out of his mouth. "Oh~? I inspire you?"

"Yeah..." the wolf felt his muzzle turn as red as his fur. "I hope I'm not weird for saying it or anything but yeah! You're a pretty cool guy! Weird and inconsistent, but still pretty cool. It's really a shame you have to leave town..."

The jackal's tail wagged and he gave the wolf a hungry look as though he was going to consume him along with the 'dessert' that was still in the oven. "Perhaps you'd like to know about how I got the scar on my eye..."

"Oh gosh... I wasn't really planning on asking, but by all means if it's a story you wanna tell I'm not going to stop you!" the wolf's tail also wagged, that glow of hope in his eyes that made the jackal both disgusted and driven with blood lust.

Jack licked his lips. "I got this scar during my first job as a mercenary."

Wait... mercenary?

"One swing from a sword just like this one nearly claimed my eye. To think the one that hired me would betray me when the going got tough: but I fixed the baffoon... He wanted my eye but he failed. So in exchange I took both of his eyes. Though to this day the fur where I was cut won't grow back. No idea why. Maybe it got bored." the jackal could feel his mouth filling with saliva, just salivating at his dear Buddy's expression going from high hope down into despair. "You can't be weak in my line of work Buddy... And I won't hesitate to say: you are weak... You're very weak... Even with this little grappling hook of yours!"

The jackal grabbed the wolf's wrist hard with enough discipline so not to shatter the bones completely, but with enough force so that with one small movement he very well could. "You lack weapons, training, discipline, connections! You with your little rose-colored glasses, thinking the world is some comic book or video game! It's not Buddy! If you're weak you'll die! You'll fall before the strong! Where you are right now, you're no more than a puppy still suckling on his mother's-!"

In a feeble attempt to take his hand back and the grappling hook shot past the jackal's head – barely missing his right eye and making yet another whole in the wall and grabbing the door frame (no way he could hide that with a poster). And while the wolf could've called law enforcement or his parents or even the neighbors in the apartments on the lower floors he just kindly took his hand back and pulled the hook out of the wall.

"I-I'm sorry Jack! I didn't mean for it to go off like that!"

The jackal only licked his teeth, completely unafraid and rather interested in the young wolf who dare try to oppose him (even though it was an accident). His mad manifesto had been cut off and it seemed like the wolf pup had some fight in him.

"Well for a pup I must say I'm impressed."

"I really didn't mean for it to go off like that. It's still a prototype! I don't wanna fight!"

"Your actions say the opposite, Buddy."

"It was an accident! I don't want to fight you!"

"Oh but what's a little comradery between friends?!" the jackal cheered, kicking the wolf down onto the floor. "Besides, we're good friends and good friends don't lie or keep secrets from one another. I'm just trying to drive the point home: YOU'RE WEAK!"

The tip of that sword was at the wolf's nose. His own friend was trying to kill him... or perhaps not? If Jack wanted to murder him he could've done so at any opportunity and while a sword was being held to his face the jackal only smiled, licking his fangs and unmoving with a venomous stare that burned a hole in Gadget's soul.

"I..." words! Use your words! "I don't wanna fight Jack."

"Of course not~ We're friends!" he lowered his sword. "You can't possibly hurt me despite the fact I'm holding my sword to your throat. I can end you whenever I choose _Buddy~._ But why don't you at least try putting up a fight? Surely you don't WANT to die, do you?"

"I don't want to die but-!"

"Well judging by your lack of action it seems like you want to! But if you want to die that can be arranged! And on top of that~." with a quick flick of his blade he flung the glasses off of Gadget's face and knelt down over him, noses nearly toughing and the heat of his breath causing the poor pup to sweat bullets. How delightful~.

Gadget swallowed his fear, unable to form words and completely paralyzed by unfamiliar feelings of betrayal and anger swimming through his brain telling him to do something and yet he did nothing! What was wrong with him? Though even the argument starting between the fearful pup and the beta wolf inside him was interrupted when saliva dripped down from the jackal's mouth and onto the wolf's chest. A maniacal laugh slowly sputtered out.

OH THE FEAR IN HIS EYES! THE HESITATION! THE SWEAT AND TEARS ON THE PUP'S FACE! How he relished in sadistic satisfaction laughing right at his face, putting his sword in the cracks of the floorboards and clapping as one does when they thoroughly enjoyed a performance.

He stopped laughing at the drop of a pin. "I am very glad I met you Buddy. You've provided me with enough entertainment for me to leave this town with no regrets. There's just one more thing I want from you before I go."

The wolf nodded, eyes glued to the erratic jackal.

"I want you to tell me you're weak. If you can do that I'll give you a reward, alright~?" he pulled the wolf up into a sitting position, his other hand on the back of his head like he was a newborn puppy. "Go on~ Say it. Tell me you're weak."

But no words came from the wolf's mouth.

"Tell. Me. You're. Weak."

"I..."

"Please go on."

"I'm... I-I... I'm weak..."

How he loved hearing those words.

"I'm weak."

"Yes, please continue."

Trembling and words coming out of his mouth without fully comprehending the words themselves nor able to control what words escaped his lips the wolf kept muttering "I'm weak." over and over as the hand on his head violently jerked him around while petting him roughly.

And removing his sword from the floorboards he placed the handle in the wolf's gloved hand. "Is there anything you want to do with this?"

He nodded, mouth slightly open without a sound.

"Then show me."

...

And while part of him wanted to die of humiliation and beat the jackal over the head he just couldn't move a single muscle in his body...

...

"Awww~ You're too weak to even do _that_ when I've already given you the tools to do so?"

The wolf nodded in zombie-like fashion.

"Awww~ Poor puppy." the jackal retrieved the glasses and placed them back on the wolf's face. "Well, I know I certainly wouldn't want anything terrible to happen to you. Not when you've done the service or providing me with such entertainment! I may have to come back to this pathetic town to see you again one day."

Gadget had no more words to be said, just accepting as the jackal kissed his forehead to rub more salt into the wound – treating him like a damn child! He took his sword back and started walking toward the door.

"I had a lot of fun today. I appreciate you making this trip worth while." and then he walked out, yelling something from the hallway that he couldn't make out and then the front door to the apartment slammed shut. Silence. Vulnerability. A near-death experience. Betrayal.

"I'm weak..."

 **Chapter 4 end**


	5. Chapter 5

**While chapter 4 was intended to be the last chapter, I couldn't leave this little story alone. I love Buddy too much. And I would like to tie up this little story cleanly.**

 **So here it is: the ACTUAL last chapter of Buddies.**

 **Will I make more Buddy fanfic in the future? Yes. I love this wolf and they were honestly better off as a legitimate, full-fledged character given their role in Sonic Forces. But until the day SEGA decides to hire me and give the Sonic franchise stories that make sense and are well-written while being entertaining, I will give you as many fanfics I can conceive.**

 **On another note: this chapter also dives into Buddy/Gadget's more mundane qualities which required giving him fanmade parents (though only the mom I made for him gets a speaking role here). For Infinite: Jackal Squad also gets a little bit of love here – no real names or speaking roles but they are acknowledged as characters that exist. I have fanfic in progress that gives them all my little head canon names.**

 **BUT ANYWAY, THE FINALE: all of the hope, all of the despair, a little bit of Sonic, but more importantly our last dose of Buddy and Infinite before I do something else.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this story.**

 **Buddies**

The wolf sat in his room in a zombie-like state of half-life and half-death until the timer on the oven snapped him out of it. He forced himself to run to the kitchen to check on what was cooking and was thankful that it didn't burn. Three ramekins of baked mac and cheese plus a giant steak covered din steak sauce cooked medium rare. He would've done this even without frie-...

No... not friends... not "buddies"...

He was just mindful of the fact mom and dad came home exhausted from their jobs so that's why he made it... A loving son who cooks and cleans while his parents are away while he toils summer vacation away doing odd-jobs around town and geeks out in his room all alone...

He was just being nice. He was always nice.

But for once he felt he was too nice, too forgiving... too weak...

"I'm... I'm weak..." stepping away from the oven that was just turned off he re-entered his zombie state of being until he bumped up against the wall and the door was unlocked.

"I'm home Gadge-!" Mom. The mango-colored wolf stopped dead in her tracks, sniffing the air and tail wagging causing her green sundress to flap around along with it. "Smells amazing! You cooked the steak just like I told you?"

Time to act like a normal kid again...

A nervous Gadget nodded, adjusting his glasses and trying to think up a good excuse as to why there were so many dirty plates in the sink. "I-I had friends over earlier. We were playing video games and they asked me to cook so I did... I got a little carried away, so sorry about that."

The mama wolf didn't seem to care, rushing straight to the steak that sat on the grates of the stove. "Looks like you did a really good job. Oh! And you made mac and cheese too! This'll be enough for tonight's dinner and lunch tomorrow!"

She was a receptionist at a spa – a part-time gig she picked up thanks to a friend in order to earn some extra money to renovate the apartment or so Gadget overheard in his room when his mom and dad spent quality time together in the living room. From what he gathered they wanted money to buy new furniture or repaint the walls and the thought of finding a new apartment entirely had also come up in conversation without Gadget around.

 _I'm weak._ he thought, swallowing down the truth and putting on the facade of a good son who just stayed home and played video games with his friends. "Um... Mom?"

"Yeah Gadget?" she asked as she took a ceramic plate out of an overhead cabinet and started preparing dinner for herself.

"You're home earlier than normal."

"T-They let me go home early today." there was a tiredness in her voice as well as a hint of worry. "Ya know it's kind of scary how expensive Park Avenue is getting. The apartment building next door is charging 2000 rings a month just for a studio! It's ridiculous!"

"Oh..." he thought about the pathetic job at the accessory stall in town and then he wondered why his mom was telling him this at all since no one had ever brought up these matters to him directly.

"It's just life really... Me and your dad just have to work harder!"

 _Making money as an adventurer coul-... No... I'm too weak for that..._

"But even if things do get more expensive, don't worry about giving us money. You're still young – you should use it for yourself! You should use your money to buy your things like comics, video games. Enjoy your childhood!"

"Mom?"

"What's the matter?" she asked as she put cubes of steak onto her plate beside a bowl of mac and cheese. "Is my Puppy okay?"

"I-I'm not really... I don't really think it's..." but he couldn't form the words.

 _Maybe it's not right for me to be into Sonic anymore..._

"Puppy, you're muttering. Use your words." now even his mom's cute nickname of 'puppy' was rubbing him the wrong way.

"I-I'm not a puppy anymore..."

"Oh I know you're not a puppy, but you'll always be my puppy!"

"Mom." he tried to be more stern but he couldn't believe himself. He didn't buy the fact he was trying to be serious and tell his mom that he was growing up. "I... I was thinking of giving some of my things away."

"That's fine. I mean it's your stuff. You thinking of donating it to charity or the thrift store down the street?"

"I didn't really think about it that far..."

 _Why should someone like me look up to Sonic so much anyway?_

"Anyway I'm going to eat and take a nap. Thanks for cooking." and the mama wolf went to the master bedroom to eat and inevitably fall asleep for the rest of the night.

He stood there uncomfortable, suddenly feeling as though he wasn't his mom's child anymore. Being called 'Puppy' any other day wouldn't have bothered him but now it felt like a stab to the heart. The zombie part of his brain took over again as he walked back to his room with his head down thinking about how weak he was and the nickname of 'Puppy' ringing in his ears until he locked the door.

The royal blue walls used to fill him with a sense of confidence and now they just brought feelings of shame and disgust. How could he ever hope to be someone like Sonic? Sonic was the best thing in the world and Gadget was just some random wolf no one cared about. If Gadget were to die, no one would mourn him save for his family and his few friends. If anything ever happened to Sonic the world would be doomed leaving Eggman to rampage through every zone and dominate the planet!

Sonic had so many more friends too plus his (possible) girlfriend Amy Rose. She would be especially heart broken if anything had happened to him! He was the world's only hope. Sure someone like Shadow could possibly take on that role should anything happen to Sonic but aside from the occasional sighting with Rouge the Bat, Shadow wasn't really talked about in the news and he seemed occupied with other work.

The other contender he could think about taking Sonic's place would be Knuckles the Echidna who supposedly owned some artifact of great power – though he was known more for his physical strength than anything else (but if he did have such a mysterious and magical artifact he could've been a contender).

He banged his head against the door, cursing at himself. "Why do I have to be so weak?"

…

He didn't go too far back into memories like that. He was too weak to do so. Too weak to remember Mom and Dad at a time like this. Too weak to confront how he felt back then. The fight with the jackal he remembered in clear detail regardless of how much it brought back negative feelings daily and nightly! The memories of having to try to look like a normal kid in front of his mom and dad when all he wanted to do was rip his fur out and cry all the time, how the memories of Jack the Jackal still taunted him and called him weak and fearing being scolded by mom and dad for talking to a stranger – a full grown adult no less!

How weak he was...

How weak he still was...

He felt disgusted...

...

Whether he wanted to or not, he remembered trying to see Jack one last time:

After closing up the hole in the wall he worked at he walked around Park Avenue, past the parks (one of which hosting a concert with a variety of indie bands) and to the only hotel in the area. It was almost sunset and he waited outside the building in a green military jacket that he bought at a thrift store when shopping with his mom. And while on other cold days he would've worn it normally with no emotions attached to it today he felt stupid for wearing it – like he was pretending to be something he wasn't.

He was too wear to wear military jackets...

Just as he started thinking about how weak he was again, he spotted the jackal in his tan coat across the street accompanied by two female jackals (one on each arm). A larger jackal wearing a green bandanna walked behind them with a smile on his face, carrying several back packs while a jackal in a red beret and another jackal with his hair swept back carried even more backs while complaining about something in some language Gadget didn't recognize (but he knew they had to be complaining about something)

The wolf's interest was peaked until Jack noticed him staring and he immediately regretted his decision. Jack said something to each girl on his arm and started walking toward the wolf alone. Even after Gadget started speed walking away the jackal grabbed his arm.

"Hey _Buddy_... Look, I just wanted to say sorry about yesterday."

The wolf turned around at those words, tail tucked between his legs. "W-What was that?"

The jackal mused. "See: I just knew you were going to pursue me again. I didn't know when or where but I had my hunch and I suppose I was correct: you wanted to see me again."

"Y-Yeah... I just-!"

"You just what~?"

"I-I'm sorry too..."

"Sorry for _what_ ~?"

"I-I'm sorry I'm weak..."

The jackal licked his fangs at that word, hands on the wolf's shoulders. "You are weak and there's a lot wrong with that but as long as you acknowledge that fact you can live a palatable existence. Just a mediocre dish at a mediocre establishment."

The other jackals across the street looked at the two of them in between the conversations they were having among themselves which made Gadget even more uncomfortable. "D-Do they know? Your friends over there... Do they-?"

"Oh no, I couldn't tell them." Jack said. "You entertained me far too much for me to share. The pleasure you've given me is paramount in comparison to anything else this pathetic town had to offer me."

The wolf's tail didn't know whether to go erect or remain between his now trembling legs. "W-What was that?"

"Yes, yes, pleasure my dear pup. It's a simple word that has a very delicate meaning."

The wolf cringed, a shiver going up his spine and telling him to get out of there as soon as possible (but of course he was too weak to listen to the reasonable side of his brain). "What do you mean pleasure?"

He smirked. "Needless to say I'm a sadist! I just knew you were going to pursue me again, meaning I'd get one last drop of entertainment out of you before you completely bored me. Just the fact you came here to try getting closure is-!" he made a noise halfway between a growl and a purr. "Well... The idea of you coming back and just the site of you this final time was enough. Admittedly I'm rather bored right now. I thought this final encounter would yield something more."

"S-Something more? Like what?"

"Where's the passion?! Where's the fury?! Where is the wolf I saw yesterday who took my blade and-!?" he stopped himself with a sigh. "Hey Buddy~?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you _really_ want to die yesterday?"

He avoided looking at the jackal all together, gritting his teeth and baring his fangs. He didn't know how he felt. He was too weak to recognize his own feelings anymore! How was he supposed to know how he felt at that time?!

But despite his confusion he found himself nodding a subtle nod and then the jackals leather gloves on both sides of his face, forcing him to make eye contact with those blue and yellow eyes, that growl disgusting him and that breath making him sweat.

And the jackal leaned in closer and just smiled while never breaking eye contact... "Well. I must say I'm glad you're not dead. So take care of yourself, alright?" he let him go. "Even though the conclusion to our friendship in this town ended on a dull note, I do hope to see you again some day. Take care, Buddy."

He waved and walked back to his posse and acted like nothing happened. All of the jackals just resumed their conversations, the female jackals clinging to his arms again, the big one in the bandanna adjusting the straps on all of the bags and the other two complaining in a language the wolf didn't recognize.

And despite all of that the name still stuck. It was a name given to him by friends, the old hedgehog at the deli, and by the strange and mysterious Jack the Jackal. He muttered the word one last time and a metallic taste took over his taste buds then something bittersweet...

"Buddy..." he sighed. "That's me I guess... Just a Buddy..."

 _No more. No less. Just a random person. Nothing special. And very weak._

 _..._

Of course things never go back to normal.

And here he was almost a year or so later and the wolf was still struggling to prove to himself that he wasn't weak. He had joined the resistance against Eggman out of fear as well as wanting to take down that deranged terrorist and help get the world back to normal however he could.

But even if he were to tell his story to someone in the resistance – what would they even say? The wolf never even told his friends, all of them now dead or names in the long list of people who hadn't been seen in Park Avenue since the day of disaster. Those in the resistance would only give him the scolding his parents never did, they would judge him and call him a stupid kid.

He was still weak in that aspect...

He would always be weak no matter how hard he fought against it...

 **Story End**


End file.
